that way love hits you
by distancing reality
Summary: during a soccer scrimmage with his college team, Zuko finds himself literally struck by love! one might also call it a soccer ball. - zutara / oblivious pinning / sports au


**that way love hits you**

a zutara fic

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Crouching in the goal, feet spread wide and body tense, Zuko kept his eyes glued to the ball's progression down the field. The players out there were giving it their all today! Defense on his side could be doing better but it wasn't every day Katara played with them, and she was generally on their team. Toph and Katara were formidable opponents but when they joined forces? Oh, boy, all other teams had better watch out!

With an unparalleled energy Katara barreled toward him, the way a lioness might chase down her supper. Eyes locked on to the finish line and feet dribbling the ball in a tight guard, she neared. Sokka was there too. He was trying to get the ball away, but she wasn't having it. He kept jumping into her space and sticking his feet where she'd trip on them but like a true sibling Katara was keeping out of his reach. Not letting him topple her. As she ran, she ducked by her brother, chest heaving and face shining with sweat.

On the other end of the field, Zuko bounced in place: watching, guarding. He would not be distracted. He would not be distracted! He wouldn't notice… the way her smooth, shapely legs pumped as she ran or how her long, curly hair swayed with her moving body- Straightening, he tried to wipe the dumb smile off his face. And the sweat; it was insufferably hot out.

Be respectful, mind on the game.

He shook his head and tried to focus. In front of him was an exciting game, it was! More than enough to keep his attention, but stupid thoughts were stupid. And although he should really be watching for- Katara passed the ball to Toph on the left, but kept herself between it and Sokka, jogged along next to the players struggling for it. She was getting closer. And- he couldn't keep his eyes off her!

Zuko, buddy, focus. Focus. Don't watch her. Don't watch her!

Katara had the ball again and now he had an excuse. She was dribbling, kicking, swaying, panting from the exertion and her approach was unreal. He zeroed in on her face again. Taking his time admiring her. Like the way her eyes scrunched up when she was concentrating hard or how she moved so gracefully, so fluidly. Even now: her body tensed, but she cocked her knee back in a smooth, practiced motion, twisting so that her feet had the best angle. Katara swept her foot forward, striking the ball. It flew through the air- WHAM.

Something hard and round connected with the side of his face and Zuko dropped like a sack of mud.

Someone was shaking his shoulder. Someone was pinching his face. Someone was calling his name. Several voices actually. And man… his head was throbbing like crazy, blood pulsing through his skull in a frantic rhythm.

"Is he okay!"

"Are you okay?"

"Stop yelling, please!"

"Is he dead?"

"No, you idiot. He's not dead!"

"Call me an idiot again you idiot and I'll knock your teeth out!"

"Everyone, shush!"

"Is he okay?"

The people were whispering again. Or were they shouting? He couldn't tell. And his head hurt! The shoulder shaking intensified. Suddenly, ice cold water splashed into his face and he jerked up off of the moist grass. Katara was there, holding his shoulder and looking panicky.

Squinting, mouth open, he blinked up at her. Even the shock of the water hadn't shocked sense into his scrambled brain.

"What?" Zuko's voice was a mumble in his own ears.

"Are you alive?"

Blurrily, he recognized a few shapes, Sokka and Toph of course, but even little Aang who wasn't old enough to join games was there.

Katara stooped down to cradle his face in her hands. Gently, very gently, she felt around his face, fingers feeling for… damage? Her warm hands pressed against his temples and she leaned in very close to examine his eyes.

Her large beautiful blue eyes stared at him, so close that he could count her lashes. And they were glorious lashes, long and dark and full. Lashes fluttering with every blink. And each blink felt an eternity, each second a millennia, heartbeats stretching out. His pulse once again thrummed deafeningly in his ears. Even her hair was glorious, a large section tumbled down from a hasty ponytail, a thick curl swayed against her perfect round cheek.

Katara leaned in even closer, so close that her lips were inches from his eyes.

Zuko fainted.

He came to on a flat, hard… bed? It must have been one because it was not a chair, but was it a bed? No. As he became more aware of his surroundings he realized that it was a table.

"…?" groggily, Zuko sat up wincing at his stiff back. A groan tried to crawl its way from his throat, but it didn't get that far.

He jumped as Toph's gruff voice sounded from the left, "Are you alive sparky?"

"Toph! What- where am I-" The room was empty except for her. His face flushed. "Where is-"

"Katara? Not here. She left when I said I'd stick around till you woke up."

A tiny twinge pinched at his pride but a thought replaced that faster than he could process the surfacing embarrassment. Sitting up straighter, he couldn't contain his question, "She was going to stay?"

Toph rolled her eyes and blew some bangs off her nose. "Yeah. She was going to stay."

In a flash he was standing. "And you let her leave!"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Why not, what should I have done?"

He didn't have an answer, "I don't know, but anything else."

Toph pushed off the wall and crossed her arms. "You seem well enough to yell at me so… bye." Without any ceremony whatsoever, she was out the door, didn't even look back.

Zuko stood still for awhile staring at that traitorous door. He didn't know what to do anymore and now that any distractions were out of the way, his mind drifted to thoughts of Katara. In his head she looked like an angel or something: her face was tilted down at him light hitting it just right, hair falling into her eyes. Zuko squeezed his own eyes shut and tried to shake the image. But trying not to think about her was useless. Sitting back down on the table, he rubbed his eyes and sighed. It was totally useless.

But was that? Yup, there the embarrassment was.

It crept up his spine and settled softly between his shoulder blades, tickling the back of his neck so that his skin started to burn as though there were actually something there. "I'm such an idiot…" One of his hands slid up to hold his face. Bad move. Where the ball had connected with the side of his face had swollen and was tender, just brushing the bruise hurt!

His blush darkened, he was an idiot. Even as he sat here on a random table in the sports equipment closet he could be out there looking for Katara. Only, he didn't have a reason to be looking for her, so this was as good a place as any to be. His body sagged with a sigh, "I'm such an idiot."

"Zuko?"

Startled, he tried to stand but tripped on the space between his feet and the floor. Katara's beautiful face, haloed by her fluffy mane of hair, poked around the door frame. She looked equal parts concerned and amused but averted her gaze to hide it. Picking himself up off the floor where he had fallen, Zuko scrambled to look casual. "Hi."

She raised her eyebrows. "Hi."

Even his neck was burning. "Welcome…" gesturing vaguely around the room, "to my humble home." he finished lamely. Katara let out a surprised laugh, and though it was just as disconcerting as a projectile ball it was not unpleasant.

Zuko looked at her directly, "Toph said you left. I thought you went home."

"Oh? I really couldn't do that. There's no way I could just after-" She stepped into the room fully, "I actually went to get an ice pack. And… You'll never guess this one, but I also got us fries. You don't mind? You're not on a diet? You don't hate potatoes or anything? Sokka claims to be allergic to literally anything if he doesn't want to eat it-" She was rambling. Maybe it was nerves.

Interrupting with a wave of his hand, "No! No, that's so nice of you!"

She smiled in a friendly way, yet as her eyes focused on him, her hand began inching up to touch his face. She stopped. "Are you really okay? That looks terrible."

"Oh this?" Not meaning to touch the lumpy bruise, he sucked in a breath. "Yes, yeah."

"I really have to offer you this now!" She shoved the paper bag into his hands.

"Oh, no you really shouldn't."

"Oh, yes I really should."

Widening his eyes, willing her to cave, he pushed the bag back at her. Katara's glare was enough to make his knees go weak.

They ended up sitting on the curb next to his car.

As he pressed the sweating blue ice pack to his cheek, drops of condensation dripped down his chin but he was oblivious to it.

"I'm really sorry about your face."

He was tired of saying this, "It's fine. I'm fine."

She didn't answer, just rummaged around in the paper bag he held, extracting a fry and munching on it daintily.

"Do you want more of this?"

She looked sheepish. "Yes." And accepted the bag from him.

Even after accepting the fries from him, she didn't really seem to want them, she was just sort of picking them out one by one. Nibbling absentmindedly. He watched her though and his neck warmed as he watched, this wasn't the most noble thing he'd done in his whole life, but… as long as she didn't notice, he wasn't going to stop. "Do you like it here?"

Scrunching her eyebrows at him, "Here as in right here where we're sitting or…"

"Here as in this school."

"Sure."

Carefully he tucked his arms under his knees, letting the ice pack rest on the pavement, waiting for her to say more.

"Tuition is fine and the professors are fine. Classes don't mess with my schedule either."

"Is that all?"

"Sure."

"But the soccer is better than fine?"

"Oh definitely!" She nodded, "The social aspects are the best-and the athletic stuff, like a soccer field and an outdoor court on campus? That's amazing!"

He looked away, trying not to smile, "But the classes and all that school stuff is just fine."

"Yes."

"That's fair."

"Thank you."

They sat in silence for a long time after that. As she continued to pick at the fries she became less shy, eating several at a time. She must not have had anything to add, but he had lots of questions he wanted to ask. In the very front of his mind a single question swam in circles. He really wanted to ask, and he realized he was speaking. "If the field and everything are so great how come you never practice with us? Or play in actual games?"

"Busy."

His ears felt warm, "You should come around more often. I- we… can always use you on our team. And if you don't show up, Toph crushes us- every time!"

She glanced at his face, checking for an ulterior-motive or something. But the corners of her mouth started to slide up, "She just rocks, she can't help it."

"Even if she's a terrible sport."

Katara laughed again, and Zuko realized that he needed to hear that sound more often.

"You know what? Right now, right this very instant we should call up Sokka and have a rematch. You have to know that taking out the goalie with the ball has to be an illegal move, right?"

"I didn't do it on purpose!"

He made a face, "Sure."

"Alright then! You're on, but Toph stays on my side- and Aang gets to play this time!"

"Sure."

"Deal?"

"Deal."

"But…" She slipped her phone from a pocket and looked from the time to the darkening sky. "But not today. Next Tuesday?"

"I- Yeah, that's sounds good." He swallowed.

She stood up and stretched. "Need a hand?"

Leaning down, hand extended, the setting sun glowed in her hair that soft halo framing her pretty face. All the breath in his lungs was missing, gone, and he swallowed again but his throat was just so dry. "Yeah."

She hauled him to his feet and he brushed the crumbs and salt and grass from his lap. "I can't wait you know?"

"And next time I won't, you know… hurt you again."

He nodded, but he wasn't listening, just looking at her. In his stomach a knot twisted and everything he felt for her danced a frantic contemporary dance in his gut, the kind with all the writhing. She in turn was looking up at his face. A strange light lit her eyes, and she reached to touch his cheek. He didn't stop her, not even flinch. And this time her cool fingers came to rest on his cheek. She was so close. So close that he could feel the heat from her skin.

His heart beat fast in his chest, thumping in his ears. Gently, her fingers stroked his chin. Her touch lingered. And as he stood frozen his skin burned hot, this heat was completely different from when he burned with embarrassment.

But then she stepped back, all the swirl of emotions popped like a soap bubble and suddenly the air was just warm and smelled of grass and lawnmower gas. Even if she was no longer touching him, she was still right there, still so close. And the feel of her fingers lingered. As the evening fell, the sweat on his skin was cooling and the air had a soft smell.

"That game's still on, right?"

She nodded, and took a deep breath.

"Walk you to your car?"

She nodded again.

"Alright then."

They set off across the athletic facilities parking lot, gravel crunching under feet. Not yet, they weren't there yet, but he had all semester to be with her. This thought soothed his beating heart as they walked to her car.

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A/N

for the 2019 zutaraexchange!

my Giftee was artmages-rebirths

my tumblr: goldenclasp


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